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Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Youth Ministry E-News

February 2010

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OYYAM Justice Other Events Retreats Resources
 

OYYAM News

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Re-Ignite: Rediscover your vision for life-changing youth ministry.  Save the date for this exciting ministry enrichment day presented by Group Publishing's Jim Knowles. Join us Monday, Mar. 8 at Incarnation Church (55 Williamsburg Lane, Centerville, 45459) for an engaging workshop that will:
  • Re-ignite your initial calling to youth ministry

  • Re-vive your teens' Catholic faith

  • Re-late to Jesus with 14 ideas and strategies

  • Re-focus what you do

  • Re-ceive lunch, lots of free products, and exclusive discounts on the latest Group products!

How can you make teens' Catholic faith relevant to their lives? The US Bishops have offered a framework for publishers regarding adolescent catechesis and many of the direct themes have to do with a more thorough understanding of Jesus and His role in their lives. How can you make this happen? Come and see!  For more information, check out our website at www.catholiccincinnati.org/youthmin
 

Tips, Tools and Techniques for Making Better Meetings: a two-workshop series to help you get the most out of every meeting you lead or attend with youth and adults.
Are any of these something you might say?
  • My staff meetings are a waste of time. I wish I could do something about them, but I'm not in charge.

  • Its easy to lead a small group when kids want to talk. What do I do when they don't?

  • I have trouble maintaining control with my large group. I have to spend most of my time getting them to quiet down.

  • What do I do about that one kid that is always joking around and distracting the rest of the group?

Join us at St. Susanna Parish (616 Reading Rd. in Mason, OH 45040) for two sessions, Wednesdays Feb. 24 and Mar. 3, 1-3:30 PM.  For more information and to register, check out our website at www.catholiccincinnati.org/youthmin.
 

Youth In Conversation With God: Empowering Teens to Pray. Effective and grace-full prayer and worship with youth can awaken and nurture a deeper spirituality and prepare them for "full, conscious and active" participation in the sacramental life of the faith community. Join us April 30-May 1 (7pm Friday to 5pm Saturday) for an overnight seminar that provides sound principles of prayer, rooted in the Catholic tradition, equipping adults with creative approaches that engage young people in a variety of personal prayer forms and corporate worship.  More information will be available on our website in upcoming weeks.
 
TACKLE (Teens Advocating Change through Knowledge Leadership and Experience) coming June 20-25!  Don't let your youth miss this powerful immersion experience, an inspiring and challenging week that develops youth into strong, justice-focused, Catholic leaders. The week includes community building, prayer, and service learning directly from community leaders and those in need from our own communities. Check out the TACKLE link on our homepage at  www.catholiccincinnati.org/youthmin for more information.
  
 

Justice/Service

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CRS Food Fast. Looking for a great Lenten (or any time!) activity you can do with your teens that is educational, spiritual, interactive, fun, doesn't cost much money, and raises money for the poor?  Try a 24-Hour Food Fast. The 2009-2010 Food Fast CD-ROM provides resources you need to design a Food Fast, including planning guides, forms, promotional resources, and activities that focus on hunger and poverty. Visit www.foodfast.org to order your FREE materials.
 
Grub for Justice: bring your high school students to St. Xavier High School on Thursday, February 18 from 6:45-8:45 PM for the another gathering on issues of peace and justice in a casual setting...with food!  This  grub's topic is on "Where are your clothes made?".  Looking at the the conservative American value of "An honest day's work equals an honest day's pay", we'll explore how for many, including working children, that doesn't happen. The speaker will be Kelsey Timmerman.  After the presentation we will all discuss what we have learned and how we can make a difference as Catholics in our community. Sponsored by C-STAT (the Cincinnati chapter of the Catholic Social Teaching Action Team).
 
Operation Rice Bowl: Each year, Operation Rice Bowl calls us to pray with our families and faith communities; fast in solidarity with those who hunger; learn more about our global community and the challenges of poverty overseas; and give sacrificial contributions to those in need. ORB aims to educate participants on issues faced by the poor in the developing world and to raise funds for CRS' overseas development projects. Your participation in Operation Rice Bowl ensures that Catholic Relief Services can continue to provide assistance to those in need in more than 100 countries. Order your free 2010 Operation Rice Bowl materials by calling 1-800-222-0025 or going to the website at http://orb.crs.org.
 
Good Shepherd Ministries (www.GoodShepherdMinistries.net ) Good Shepherd Ministries’ Furniture Clothing & Linen Pantry (Garage of 185 Shoup Mill Rd., Dayton, Ohio) has new opening times. It is now open on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month from 9AM until the last client is helped. The Good Shepherd Ministries' pantry accepts all types of clothing (work, casual and interview attire), bedding, toiletries, furniture and appliances. To donate, you will find the pantry near the corner of the 4800 block of N. Main St. in Dayton. it is a tan, vinyl-sided house facing across from Horizon Academy.  For more information on helping out, please contact Dale Nieberding at dalenieberding@sbcglobal.net  or (937) 252-5700 X247.
 
 

Other Events

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Pure Energy is the largest set of middle school youth rallies in the East Side of Cincinnati. Come experience the living power of Christ and His Church as middle schoolers gather from all over Cincinnati to live out their faith. Gather your middle schoolers and join speaker Dan DeMatte at the next Pure Energy event at Immaculate Heart of Mary Cafeteria in Cincinnati (7820 Beechmont Ave., 45225) on Friday Feb. 12 from 6-8:30 PM.
Each Pure Energy night has all of the following ingredients:
  • snacks and drinks

  • crazy games to get the blood flowing

  • live music and praise by our High School band

  • hilarious skits put on by the High School Leadership team

  • audience games for prizes

  • a dynamic big name Catholic speaker

          and much more!
For more information check out the website at www.pureenergycinci.info.
 

Matt Maher in Concert: Worship artist and renowned songwriter Matt Maher, whose breakout composition, "Your Grace is Enough" appeared on his 2008 debut album, is coming to Ohio. Come see Matt Maher in concert March 13 at 7 PM at Parkway High School Auditorium (400 Buckeye St., Rockford, 45882, near Lima, OH).  Opening performance by Krista Evans and the Bridge Band. Tickets are: Adults: $15 and Children (under 12) $10, but contact Steve or Betsy Merrill at smerrill1@bright.net for special discounts for groups of high school youth (or just to purchase tickets).
 
The 2010 National Catholic Youth Choir is currently accepting student applications. The National Catholic Youth Choir is a summer music camp open to Roman Catholic youth entering 10th-12th grade in the summer of 2010. The program takes place June 15-29, 2010 on the beautiful wooded grounds of Saint John's Abbey and Saint John's University in central Minnesota. Camp includes a multi-state tour, concert performances, CD recording and of course fun!  The singers learn about Catholic liturgy and how the treasury of sacred music fits in Catholic worship today. The choir also sings contemporary and newly-written music. Choristers have had their faith renewed and have become excited to be a believing Catholic. They are very proud of the great music they make.  Additional Information can be found on the website at www.CatholicYouthChoir.org. Application forms are online and are due March 8, 2010.  For more information, go to www.catholicyouthchoir.org.
 
Healing Through the Heart of Jesus Conference:  Join Fr. Christopher Crotty, C.P.M and Moira Noonan (former New Age practitioner) in exploring the devious influences of the New Age movement (black and white magic, fortune telling, “paranormal” fascination, vampirism, etc.) on our youth and society.  This conference will take place Feb. 12 (6-9 PM) and Feb. 13 (10 AM to 9 PM) at the Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center (5440 Moeller Ave., Norwood). We ask for a donation of $20 to attend.  If you know of someone who has been touched by this or you have to address these concerns, please come to this event.  Call 513-351-9800 or e-mail events@olhsc.org to register and for details.    
 
 

Retreats

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NET Ministries is in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati until Feb. 23, 2010
NET Ministries is a retreat ministry that challenges young Catholics to love Christ and embrace the life of the Church.  The retreats, typically for youth in grades 7-12, are high-energy experiences using large group presentations, small group discussion, music, drama, personal faith sharing, one-on-one prayer, and the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist, given at your parish or school.  The goals of the retreat are to help young people understand and accept God’s unconditional love for them, to offer the faith of the team as a witness  that faith in God is a desirable and exciting part of their lives, and to encourage young people to grow in their commitment to Jesus Christ and the Church. To schedule a NET retreat or to learn more about NET retreats visit www.netusa.org or contact John Popp at jpoppDRE@gmail.com.
 
Kairos Retreat: February 19-21 for high school seniors and younger adults, an event that will change the way young people approach the rest of their lives. Begins 9am on Friday and ends 7pm Sunday at the Athenaeum of Ohio in Beechmont. Cost of $75 includes accommodations, 7 meals, special mementos, all materials and carpooling!  Registration deadline is Friday, February 10th. Adult chaperones and drivers also needed! For more information go to http://youth.stjohnwc.org/kairos.htm or e-mail Debbie at dkreiner@stjohnwc.org.
 
Praying with Ignatius:  Following upon full-house attendance last year, the Jesuit Spiritual Center will again offer a four-evening Lenten retreat on the consecutive Wednesdays of Feb. 24 and March 3, 10 and 17. The retreat will offer an introduction to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and will seek to deepen the prayer habits and spiritual lives of attendees. Each evening will include a specific topic as well as prayer, scripture-reading and small group sharing. The retreat will be led by Fr. Cy Whitaker, SJ, associate pastor of St. Xavier Church. For more information, or to register, call (513) 248-3500, ext. 10, or visit  www.jesuitspiritualcenter.com.
 
Wrapped in God’s Love, a weekend personally directed retreat for women, will be offered March 5-7 at the Jesuit Spiritual Center by Dede Swinehart, Wanda Wetli, CSJ and a team of spiritual directors. Enter into the Lenten spirit by wrapping yourself in silence, reflection, spiritual direction and prayer. For more information, call (513) 248-3500, ext. 10.  call (513) 248-3500, ext. 10, or visit www.jesuitspiritualcenter.com.
 
 

Resources

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Need Some Help Understanding How to Podcast? Check out this helpful video from Greg Thompson, Coordinator of Youth Ministry for St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Madison, Alabama.  In this 12 minute video, Greg gives some tips on how to make a video podcast.  If you don't know how to find the power button on your video camera, this will not help. If, however, you have some technical skill and are willing to take some time to experiment and learn a little more, this might be worth a look to give some extra tips for those who aren't sure where to begin. Check out the video at http://www.mycatholicvoice.com/media/dfKQUy, and happy podcasting!
 
Make connections with families on the topic of underage drinking: Help the parents of the youth in your parish increase awareness regarding the facts of underage drinking. Register for a session with local law enforcement regarding underage drinking laws, facts, and safe storage or alcohol in the home.  Registering will also give you a chance to win free tickets to attend the #10 ranked Xavier Women's Basketball game. For more information about this initiative and others, log on to www.DrugFreeCincinnati.org. This is a program of the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati.
 
Youth Ministry Access:  Do you wish you had the latest and greatest resources at your fingertips?  Youth Ministry Access, an online subscription for leaders, has hundreds of fully-designed sessions for gathered youth nights, extended events, and retreats, for high school and middle school. It has online training for your youth and adults, journal articles, and non-gathered ideas to connect to youth and family, all for as little as $2.88 or $4.33 a week.  Visit the Youth Ministry Access preview site, and download free materials: http://secure.cmdnet.org/access_main.cfm.  Best wishes to you in your ministry with youth!
 
pray-as-you-go.org Pray-as-you-go is a free daily prayer session designed for use on your portable MP3 players, to help you pray while traveling to and from work, study, etc. It is not a 'Thought for the Day', a sermon or a bible-study, but rather a framework for your own prayer.  Lasting between 10 and 13 minutes, it combines music, scripture and some questions for reflection. The aim is to help you to
  • become more aware of God's presence in your life

  • listen to and reflect on God's word
  • grow in your relationship with God

It is produced by Jesuit Media Initiatives, with material written by a number of British Jesuits and other experts in the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Although the content is different every day, it keeps the same basic format. Visit pray-as-you-go.org for more information and to get started today!
 

Need an easier way to communicate with your teens or staff? Can't decide whether to send an e-mail, text message or Facebook posting?  Check out www.Flocknote.com,  a free, new Catholic website that could be perfect for your Catholic parish. Here's a brief description of how the site works: Catholic group leaders  simply create "feeds" for every group that they lead. They can then post notes and documents on this feed to share with their members.  Then, group members subscribe to the feeds and choose how they want to receive their notes: by email, text message, Facebook , or on the website itself. You can even attach documents that group members can download - like newsletters, event flyers, permission slips, etc.  And the best part? It's 100% free - and 100% Catholic.  So check out the website and give it a try!
 
Help us update our records! E-mails and addresses change quickly this day and age, and sometimes it is difficult for us to keep up. Please go to our website at www.catholiccincinnati.org/youthmin and click on the mailing list update link on the bottom of the page.  Please fill it out, hit submit, and you're done! If you know anyone who is no longer receiving this youth ministry e-zine but would like to, invite them to fill one out too. Return as often as you like, whenever anything changes.

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ABOUT THE E-News:  The Youth Ministry E-News is a periodic on-line publication of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry. The Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministry frequently forwards information about church-related youth ministry events and opportunities as a service to the youth ministry leaders of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.  Forwarding information does not imply Archdiocesan endorsement, sponsorship or approval. For more details about youth ministry opportunities offered specifically by our office, check out our website at www.catholiccincinnati.org/youthmin.

Peace,

Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry
E-mail:  cintioym@catholiccincinnati.org